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Battle of Scheveningen
1653'' by Jan Abrahamsz Beerstraaten, painted c. 1654 shows the view of the battle from the Dutch shore where thousands gathered to watch. |partof=First Anglo-Dutch War |conflict=Battle of Scheveningen |date=10 August 1653 |place=Scheveningen, Netherlands |result=English tactical victory Dutch strategic victory |combatant1= Commonwealth of England |combatant2= |commander1=George Monck |commander2=Maarten Tromp |strength1=120 ships |strength2=100 ships under Tromp 27 ships under De With3decks 2009. |casualties1=2 ships sunk, 250 dead and 700 wounded |casualties2=12-14 (Dutch claim) - 30 (English claim) ships captured or sunk, 2000 taken prisoner or deadAnglo-Dutch Wars and Naval Wargaming. 2003-2004. James C. Bender. |}} The Battle of Scheveningen (also known as the Battle of Texel or the Battle of Ter Heijde) was the final naval battle of the First Anglo-Dutch War. It took place on 8– 1653 between the fleets of the Commonwealth of England and the United Provinces, and had no clear victor. Background After their victory at the Battle of the Gabbard in June 1653, the English fleet of 120 ships under General at Sea George Monck blockaded the Dutch coast, capturing many merchant vessels. The Dutch economy began to collapse immediately: mass unemployment and even starvation set in. On , Dutch Lieutenant-Admiral Maarten Tromp put to sea in the ''Brederode'' with a fleet of 100 ships to lift the blockade at the island of Texel, where Vice-Admiral Witte de With's 27 ships were trapped by the English. On , the English sighted Tromp and pursued to the south, sinking two Dutch ships before dark, but allowing De With to slip out and rendezvous the next day with Tromp off Scheveningen, right next to the small village of Ter Heijde, after Tromp had positioned himself by some brilliant manoeuvering to the north of the English fleet. ]] Battle The winds were fierce on and overnight, giving both fleets pause. Around 7 in the morning of , the Dutch gained an advantage from the weather and attacked, led by the ''Brederode''. The ensuing battle was ferocious, with both fleets moving through each other four times.The mammoth book of eyewitness naval battles. Richard Russell Lawrence. 2003. pgs 92-94. Tromp was killed early in the fight by a sharpshooter in the rigging of William Penn's ship.The Battle of Scheveningen, 1653. British Civil Wars. 15 March 2010. His death was kept secret to keep up the morale of the Dutch, but by late afternoon, twelve of their ships had either been sunk or captured and many were too heavily damaged to continue the fight. In the end, morale broke and a large group of vessels under the command of merchant captains fled to the north. De With tried to halt their flight, but had to limit himself to covering the retreat to the island of Texel. However, the English fleet, also heavily damaged and with many wounded in urgent need of treatment, had to return to port to refit and were unable to maintain the blockade. Aftermath Both sides claimed a victory: the English because of their tactical superiority, the Dutch because the strategic goal of their attack, the lifting of the blockade, had been achieved. However, Tromp's death was a severe blow to the Dutch – few now expected to beat the English; the Orangist faction lost political influence and Grand Pensionary Johan de Witt was willing to give formal treaty assurances to Cromwell that the infant William III of Orange would never become stadtholder, thus turning the Netherlands into a base for a Stuart restoration. Peace negotiations began in earnest, leading to the 1654 Treaty of Westminster. The damage done to the Dutch fleet effectively ended the first war. The Dutch capitulated to several English demands.History of War, Rickard, J (19 August 2009), Battle of Scheveningen, 31 July 1653. References Scheveningen Category:1653 in Europe Category:Conflicts in 1653